“I’m responsible for the cuffs, but you climbed inside my shirt all on your own.” When Cym attempted to escape the shirt, Fourteen held him in place. “I like it.”
Cym stopped trying to crawl out and then flopped back down. Fourteen gave a small sigh when their bare chests pressed against each other once more and his dick pulsed against Cym’s thigh.
“Oh!” Cym shifted awkwardly, and Fourteen noticed the young man’s own cock hardening against Fourteen.
Cym scooted until his head popped out of Fourteen’s shirt. His face was a deep scarlet. Fourteen hipped into him cautiously, testing.
Cym’s body responded beautifully. He made a soft little uhhh and he bucked his hips against Fourteen’s stomach.
“I don’t think…”
Fourteen didn’t get a chance to find out what Cym thought because a tiny, velvet-soft tongue began lapping at his chest like it was made of ice cream. If he’d thought skin contact felt good… fuck.
Fourteen wanted to swallow the little man whole. He wanted to chain him to himself.
…More.
He wanted to chain Cym to him with thick, unbreakable bonds that could never be removed.
The physical and emotional sensations rolling through Fourteen made it nearly impossible to do what he knew he had to do next.
Fourteen unwrapped his unchained arm from Cym’s waist and placed his hand under Cym’s chin. “Baby, stop.”
Cym’s eyes were hazy and unfocused and his little pink tongue darted out to wet his lips.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started something just now. We need to talk first.”
Cym’s eyes became clear in an instant. “Oh my god. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…” His eyes began to shimmer with tears, and his horrified expression cut through Fourteen like a knife.
“No, it’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t cry, baby. We’re okay.” Distantly, Fourteen was impressed with his ability to articulate his thoughts so well. Cym’s magic was a gift that Fourteen hoped he never took for granted. The T-shirt had slipped down to obscure part of Cym’s face, and Fourteen ripped the fabric in half, exposing a sad face and the slim, enticing body pressed against his.
Cym sat up and straddled Fourteen’s stomach, looking just to the left of his face. “What do we need to talk about?”
“I can think of a few things. I believe you can come up with some yourself if you try.”
Cym gave an awkward laugh. “Yeah. Maybe one or two.” He held up the hand with the cuff on it. “Maybe we should start with this?”
“You run away a lot,” Fourteen said bluntly. “I don’t trust you not to do it again.”
“So you decided to cuff me?”
“Yes.”
“Do I get a say in this?”
“No.”
“Oh.” Cym’s tiny mouth turned down in a pout. “I don’t know how I feel about that. I’m not a huge fan of being locked up.”
Fourteen sighed. “I know. It’s only when I’m asleep, and…” Fourteen took a deep breath and confronted the elephant in the room. “You can always order me to release you.”
Cym’s eyes darted to meet Fourteen’s in alarm. “No. I’m not doing that again. No one ever gets to force you to do anything against your will again.” Cym’s tears were gone and his eyes were frigid. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Warmth bloomed in Fourteen’s chest, and for the first time in his memory, he knew what it felt like to be cared for. He’d chosen the right person to follow. The right person to protect with his life.
He just needed to make sure his person followed the rules.
Fourteen decided to start with rule one. “No more running. I can’t keep us safe if I don’t know where you are. And I will keep us safe.” He used the word us because he had a sense that Cym would be more likely to comply if he knew Fourteen’s own well-being was also at stake. “We’re a team now.”
Fourteen didn’t bother to phrase it as a request. They were a unit, and Cym would get used to the idea eventually.
“You still want that?” Cym’s voice was uncertain, and his gaze went back to hovering over Fourteen’s shoulder.
Want it? For fuck’s sake. It no longer mattered if Fourteen wanted it. He needed it. It was so much more than a mere want. It was a craving. A desperate shout deep in his soul. If Fourteen didn’t get this, the entire world would burn.
Instead of voicing the brutal truth, he simply said, “Yes.”
The relief on Cym’s face was instant. “Thank the gods. I mean, yes. Yes, we’re a team. All the way.”
“Good.”
“No more running, I promise. Unless you’re running with me. Does that sound good?”
No, it didn’t sound good, because Fourteen hated the idea of running away from anything. He’d rather kill the shit out of whatever was coming for him, but he wasn’t a him anymore. Fourteen was a them now, and he needed to make concessions. “Affirmative.”
“Hmm… You don’t like that do you?” Cym wrinkled his nose in thought and shifted his weight back to inspect Fourteen’s face. “You get more soldiery when you don’t like something.”
“I’ll deal with it.”
